1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a virtual device management method and management apparatus in a system which manages, as virtual devices, image processing apparatuses, such as a plurality of printing apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
A management system which manages a plurality of printing apparatuses as virtual devices sometimes permits/prohibits the use of an optional function of a printing apparatus. Conventionally, it is popular to notify the user via a user interface whether he can use an optional function of a printing apparatus, depending on whether the optional function is incorporated in the printing apparatus, or the capability of the optional function, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-146731.
However, the conventional method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-146731 suffers the following problems.
Assume that a plurality of print output systems are defined for the user, and different output systems are set depending on print attributes. A remote device may then carry out output requiring a stapler or finisher on a remote printer, and carry out other output set with a high output frequency attribute on a nearby device. This is because in an environment such as an office a multi-function device (multi-function peripheral) is considered to be shared between departments, and installed in a shared space distant from the department to which the user belongs. Further, assume that a printing apparatus capable of only printing at relatively low cost is installed near the department to which the user belongs.
In this environment, even if a finisher or the like is mounted in a nearby output device, a remote device outputs the results of printing using a stapler or finisher according to the conventional method.
Even if output devices become equal in capability, items of repetitive output system information remain held, and information unnecessary for the user continues to accumulate.
This problem is not limited to print output systems, and also arises when managing a plurality of actual devices as virtual devices in the peripheral device of a computer system.